Although Hae Jin had been discharged, she still hadn’t fully recovered, so she slept continuously at home. While sleeping, she thought she caught a glimpse of him in her dreams, but it was probably due to the medication.

In her dream, she also met her mother. Whenever she had indigestion, her mother always used to rub her hands.

She recalled the nagging and worried touch, asking why she was working so stressfully when it was her father’s company anyway. Being sick and tired naturally made her think of her mother.

Fortunately, when she fully woke up, her physical condition was fine.

A text message arrived just before opening the front door. It was an incredible timing. Sometimes it was surprising. It wasn’t the first time she was startled as if he was watching her from somewhere.

“Hello, Team Leader.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I slept well yesterday, so I’m fine now.”

Hae Jin’s voice was brighter than usual as if trying to show her recovered condition. She hoped he would feel a bit relieved.

She felt sorry about that day and asked because she usually drank coffee every morning, but he offered something else instead of coffee.

“Open this thermos and drink.”

The thermos he mentioned was in the cup holder next to Hae Jin’s arm.

“What is this?”

Hae Jin carefully opened the lid. Steam was rising as if it had just been boiled. As she naturally smelled it, there was a familiar scent.

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

Tae Hong, while driving, seemed concerned about Hae Jin and reached out to move the thermos away from her. It was a scent she had smelled somewhere, but she couldn’t quite recall it, so she brought it close to her nose again.

“It’s barley tea.”

“Barley tea?”

When she smelled it again thinking it was barley tea, it really was barley tea.

“Why am I drinking this?”

Hae Jin hesitated, holding the thermos and lid in both hands, not understanding the reason.

“I heard that babies drink barley tea when they have an upset stomach.”

“What?”

While that might be true for babies, she was a grown adult. Moreover, she couldn’t help but smile at his words comparing her to a baby.

“Jung Hae Jin also had an upset stomach yesterday. I thought barley tea would be good for you.”

He looks like the epitome of a city man, but his thoughtfulness is as hearty as barley tea.

“This is an unexpected situation.”

“Is it? Well, it’s not a big deal.”

Unable to admit it, she found herself nodding at his unexpected charm.

“Did you make it yourself?”

This question was asked out of courtesy. Surely he wouldn’t have brewed it himself, right? But he showed his second unexpected charm. He started explaining in detail how he had brewed the barley tea himself in the morning.

Was it the barley tea that was hot, or was it my heart? It was confusing. Hiding her surprised feelings, she asked carefully.

“How did you know that babies drink barley tea?”

“Lee told me. It was when his son was 100 days old, I think. He said he first gave him barley tea when he had an upset stomach.”

“Oh my, is Lee Byung Soo married?”

Hae Jin was so surprised that she even put down the barley tea she had been drinking. Tae Hong looked at her calmly as she put down the barley tea she had been drinking well and made a surprised expression. She didn’t seem to notice his eyes narrowing.

“Yes, he’s married.”

Tae Hong’s answer was casual, but Hae Jin’s reaction was genuine. She really didn’t know and was really surprised.

“I see. I didn’t know. He doesn’t look like someone who’s married at all.”

It was just ordinary barley tea, but she couldn’t take it away from her mouth. She poured more barley tea into the empty cup.

“How long has he been married?”

When Hae Jin asked about Lee Byung Soo again, Tae Hong turned his head sharply, taking advantage of the red light.

“Why are you curious about that?”

“What? Just, well.”

When asked for the reason for her curiosity, no words came to mind. It was just a question following the flow of suspicion.

“Isn’t it interest in a colleague?”

Not noticing Tae Hong’s sensitivity, Hae Jin was busy blowing on the steaming cup.

“Interest in a colleague, huh.”

Tae Hong started to dwell on her words. Hae Jin’s interest was still on the barley tea. It was because of the unusually delicious barley tea.

“Is that interest only for specific people?”

“Specific people? Don’t we have interest in all colleagues?”

“All?”

“Yes.”

Hae Jin was still savoring the barley tea, just thinking, It’s delicious.

“I guess that includes me too?”

With the last sip left, Hae Jin choked. She was busy coughing continuously as if something had gone down the wrong way. Tae Hong handed her his handkerchief.

“Is that such a surprising question?”

It’s not so much surprising as it is out of the blue.

“No, it’s not.”

Hae Jin barely covered her mouth with the handkerchief Tae Hong had given her.

“I didn’t know Jung Hae Jin was such a person overflowing with camaraderie.”

He seemed both upset and his tone was oddly sarcastic. Only then did Hae Jin try to gauge his mood by activating all her radar networks.

Now that the barley tea wasn’t the important thing, she closed the lid with regret.

“Team Leader, as you know, the brand launch is just in its initial stages.”

Hae Jin continued her explanation slowly and clearly.

“I think the first step of a project is solid collaboration with colleagues, and isn’t the basis of that interest in others?”

“That’s quite a long explanation.”

Tae Hong still wasn’t looking at Hae Jin.

“I want to make this project successful to broaden my own bowl and preserve your bowl as well, Team Leader.”

Hae Jin put the thermos back where it was originally placed. The warm barley tea in her mouth felt like it was filling her empty stomach.

“I just want to get along well with everyone.”

Of course, Gumiho Kim might need some consideration.

“And Team Leader.”

She couldn’t look at Tae Hong while saying this. Hae Jin followed Tae Hong’s lead and spoke while looking straight ahead.

“You’re different from the others.”

In other words, you’re not on the same level as the other team members.

With her warmed insides and the sense of security of being protected, it came out without her realizing. And with that revealed heart, she hoped to get a little closer to him.

“Hae Jin, come closer one step at a time. I’ll be waiting.”

As the turbid air was about to scatter messily, the conversation couldn’t continue due to incoming phone calls. At the words to come closer, at the words of waiting, her loosened heart tightened again.

After finishing parking, Hae Jin was faster than Tae Hong who was about to speak.

“Team Leader, can I take this barley tea with me and drink it?”

Hae Jin really liked the hearty barley tea that suited her taste perfectly. So much so that she thought she should drink barley tea after indigestion from now on.

As Hae Jin hugged the thermos tightly, Tae Hong couldn’t say anything else and just smiled.

“Hae Jin.”

His low voice was especially charming in the morning. Her heart warmed at her name called in that pleasant baritone.

“Do you know what I was thinking while brewing this in the morning?”

Hae Jin hadn’t thought that far, so she just quietly hugged the thermos tighter.

“Moon Tae Hong, you’re doing all sorts of things.”

Tae Hong also turned halfway and looked at her in the same position. They faced each other in the narrow car.

“And while watching Jung Hae Jin enjoying the barley tea I brewed, I thought again.”

Her mouth was still warm with the scent of the barley tea he had brewed. Was her heated heart due to the barley tea or due to him?

“That I’ll have to do even more special things in the future.”

It’s because of Moon Tae Hong that it’s hot.

**

Is it normal to receive such an enthusiastic welcome from employees when returning to the company after a long business trip? Or is it just Yeon Jung who’s like this?

As soon as Tae Hong entered the office, Yeon Jung suddenly appeared and stuck close to his side.

Starting with:
“Team Leader, wasn’t the business trip difficult?”

And ending with delusions like:
“I should have gone, then our Team Leader would have been less tired.”

Our? If Gumiho Kim had gone along, oh my, it’s understandable. Feeling relieved that she had gone instead, Hae Jin lightly ignored Yeon Jung and returned to her seat.

Just because the business trip was over didn’t mean the work was done. Rather, work had piled up while substituting for Byung Soo. Fortunately, work related to the brand launch was progressing smoothly.

She organized the memos she had written in her notebook here and there during the business trip. After organizing for a couple of hours, she massaged her stiff neck.

Just then her phone rang, and as soon as she confirmed the caller, Hae Jin answered at the speed of light.

“Manager!”

Byung Soo was still hospitalized.

“Oh, Jung. Did the business trip go well?”

“Of course.”

Hae Jin answered vaguely, unable to give a detailed explanation.

“You must have worked hard. It must have been tough trying to please the Team Leader too.”

As expected, only the manager understands. Hae Jin couldn’t bring herself to ask if the manager had also followed Tae Hong to the gym at 6 AM. It felt like secretly gossiping about Tae Hong, which she didn’t want to do.

“When will you be able to be discharged?”

“I’m not sure either. My bones need to cooperate as much as possible, but even the doctor can’t give a definite answer.”

“I see. Recovery is important, so don’t worry about work at the company.”

Hae Jin responded coolly, as if company work was no big deal. She only hoped this would make Byung Soo feel less uncomfortable.

“I feel so sorry, what should I do? Jung must be busy with work too.”

“The more work I learn, the better, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll repay you later for all the help you’ve given me.”

After discussing a few more work-related matters with Byung Soo, Hae Jin hung up. She put down the phone and tried to get back to work, but she couldn’t ignore Byung Soo’s apologetic voice.

“Should I go visit him?”

Knowing Byung Soo’s personality, he might still be apologizing even in the hospital room. Maybe she should go visit him to show that it’s really okay.

Hae Jin looked over Tae Hong’s schedule. If there was a time when he didn’t need her to accompany him, she thought she should go visit during that gap. While she was deep in thought, a text message notification rang.

As soon as Hae Jin checked the message, her face lit up. She looked at the message that had triggered the alarm again and again. She couldn’t take her eyes off the phone.

And a smile she had never shown before spread across her face. Tae Hong, who had just opened the door and come out of the team leader’s office, caught sight of Hae Jin like this.

What is she praying to her phone for?

Tae Hong slowly approached Hae Jin. She didn’t even notice Tae Hong coming, still gripping her phone tightly and staring intently at the screen.

It was a different feeling from when she had tightly held the thermos he had prepared for her in the morning. It was as if the phone screen made her happier.

Is it something more enjoyable than my barley tea?

Curiosity and a strange sense of competition made him even more curious about what was making her so happy.

Why is Jung Hae Jin praying to her phone?

“Jung Hae Jin.”

As if she hadn’t heard, Hae Jin continued to look only at her phone. Tae Hong moved a bit closer to her and tapped on the desk with his hand.

Knock knock.

“Jung Hae Jin.”

Whether it was because of the voice that had come closer or the sound of tapping on the desk, Hae Jin finally looked up.

“Team Leader. Now is not the right timing to call me.”

Unlike the expression Tae Hong had seen, Hae Jin’s voice had suddenly become sharp.